The present invention relates to an exhaust gas purifier, and in particular, to an exhaust gas purifier which can effectively remove soot contained in the exhaust gas of a diesel engine or the like.
In large cities and the areas beside principal roads and the like, air pollution caused by exhaust gas of automobiles has become serious in recent years.
In gasoline automobiles, exhaust gas regulations have become stricter in these past several decades, and methods for cleaning exhaust gases such as controlling combustion at the engine, oxidation/reduction of harmful components in the exhaust gas by oxidation-reduction catalysts, three-way processing catalysts or others have come to be generally adopted. However, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the exhaust gas cannot be completely removed by any of the aforementioned means.
Further, with regard to diesel automobiles as well, various types of means such as combustion control at the engine, increasing of the boost pressure, hybridizing with a motor, and the like have been studied as exhaust gas purifying means.
However, these exhaust gas purifying means are not satisfactory with regard to the point of their ability to remove the soot and smoke and the like in exhaust gasses, and there is also the problem that the structure of the engine becomes complex.
Here, various types of exhaust gas purifiers, which remove hydrocarbons contained in the exhaust gas of an engine, have been proposed.
As such an exhaust gas purifier, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 51-113023, there is proposed an exhaust purifier of an internal combustion engine (see page 1, lower left column, lines 5-13 of JP-A No. 51-113023) in which
a. an absorption device for absorbing hydrocarbons is provided in the exhaust path of the engine,
b. a liquid adsorbent is provided so as to be made to flow down within the absorption device,
c. a conduit, which guides the liquid absorbent which has absorbed hydrocarbons to a hydrocarbon desorbing device, is provided in the absorption device,
d. the exhaust heat of the engine heats the hydrocarbon desorbing device, and the output side communicates with the intake side of the engine.
Further, in JP-A 61-072615, a waste gas purifier of an internal combustion engine, in which a tank containing a purifying liquid is connected to a waste gas pipe from the internal combustion engine, is disclosed (JP-A No. 61-072615, page 1, lower left column, lines 5-7). As the purifying liquid, water, a lean mixed solution of an organic acid, and a wood vinegar are disclosed (JP-A No. 61-072615, page 1, lower left column, line 8 through the same page, lower right column, line 14).
Moreover, in JP-A No. 07-224638, there is disclosed an exhaust gas purifier consisting of a container which contains an aqueous solution removing simultaneously nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, dust, and the like in the exhaust gas, and an air diffusing pipe which is inserted into the container (the claims of JP-A No. 07-224638).
However, the object of the exhaust purifier disclosed in JP-A No. 51-113023 is to remove volatile hydrocarbons from the exhaust gas, and the removal of soot is not an object.
Further, in the exhaust gas purifiers disclosed in JP-A No. 61-072615 and JP-A No. 07-224638, as described above, a water based purifying liquid, such as water, wood vinegar, an aqueous solution which removes nitrogen oxides or the like in the exhaust gas, or the like, is used. However, the viscosity of these purifying liquids is as low as that of water. Additionally diesel engines having a large cubic capacity, such as engines of trucks or busses or the like, have a high exhaust gas pressure of 5 to 6 atm.
Accordingly, when introducing the exhaust gas of the diesel engine into the exhaust gas purifier, there are the problems that the purifying liquid scatters due to the pressure of the exhaust gas, and the soot and smoke in the exhaust gas adsorbed in the purifying liquid returns again into the exhaust gas together with the purifying liquid.
Further, because the temperature of the exhaust gas of the diesel engine reaches 300 to 500xc2x0 C., a problem arises that, when the exhaust gas of the diesel engine is introduced into the exhaust gas purifier, the purifying liquid in a tank or a container thereof is heated by the exhaust gas and evaporated.
The object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust gas purifier which can effectively remove soot and smoke from exhaust gas of a diesel automobile such as a truck or a bus or the like, and whose structure is simple, and to provide an exhaust gas purifier which can effectively remove, from the exhaust gas, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and the like, in addition to hydrocarbons.
A first aspect of the present invention relates to an exhaust gas pruifier comprising: an exhaust gas purifying tank accommodating, at an interior, an exhaust gas purifying liquid selected from lubricating oils and animal and vegetable oils; an exhaust gas introducing flow path provided at a bottom portion of the exhaust gas purifying tank, and introducing exhaust gas which is to be purified into the exhaust gas purifying liquid accommodated in the exhaust gas purifying tank; and an exhaust gas guide-out flow path which guides exhaust gas, which has flowed through the exhaust gas purifying liquid, out to an exterior of the exhaust gas purifying tank, wherein a floating sphere filter which is equipped with floating spheres, which are a group of spheres, and a floating sphere accommodating chamber, which accommodates the floating spheres at an interior and which has a bottom plate and a ceiling plate formed such that the exhaust gas can flow therethrough and whose side walls are formed by floating walls which are thrust so as to push the floating spheres to return toward a central portion, is provided at the exhaust gas guide-out flow path.
A second aspect of the present invention relates to an exhaust gas purifier comprising: a first exhaust gas purifying tank accommodating, at an interior, an exhaust gas purifying liquid selected from lubricating oils and animal and vegetable oils; a second exhaust gas purifying tank accommodating, at an interior, a nitrogen oxide removing liquid which has affinity with respect to nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides; a first exhaust gas introducing flow path provided at a bottom portion of the first exhaust gas purifying tank, and introducing exhaust gas which is to be purified into the exhaust gas purifying liquid accommodated in the first exhaust gas purifying tank; a second exhaust gas introducing flow path provided at a bottom portion of the second exhaust gas purifying tank, and introducing exhaust gas, which has been guided-out from the first exhaust gas purifying tank, into the nitrogen oxide removing liquid accommodated in the second exhaust gas purifying tank; and an exhaust gas guide-out flow path which guides exhaust gas, which has been introduced into the exhaust gas purifying liquid, out to an exterior of the second exhaust gas purifying tank, wherein a floating sphere filter which is equipped with floating spheres, which are a group of spheres, and a floating sphere accommodating chamber, which accommodates the floating spheres at an interior and which has a bottom plate and a ceiling plate formed such that the exhaust gas can flow therethrough and whose side walls are formed by floating walls which are thrust so as to push the floating spheres to return toward a central portion, is provided a both of the second exhaust gas introducing flow path and the exhaust gas guide-out flow path.
A third aspect of the present invention relates to, in the exhaust gas purifier relating to the above-described second aspect, an exhaust gas purifier in which the nitrogen oxide removing liquid is water.
A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to an exhaust gas purifier having an exhaust gas purifying tank accommodating, at an interior, an exhaust gas purifying liquid selected from lubricating oils and animal and vegetable oils; an exhaust gas introducing means provided within the exhaust gas purifying tank, and introducing exhaust gas into the exhaust gas purifying liquid accommodated in the exhaust gas purifying tank; and an exhaust gas guide-out flow path which guides out exhaust gas which has flowed through the exhaust gas purifying liquid, wherein the exhaust gas introducing means is equipped with: an exhaust gas jetting portion which jets exhaust gas in a given direction; and an exhaust gas flow guiding duct which extends along a direction of jetting exhaust gas at the exhaust gas jetting portion, and a purifying liquid return opening, through which the exhaust gas purifying liquid flows in, is provided at one end of the exhaust gas flow guiding duct, and an opening portion, through which exhaust gas purifying liquid which has flowed through an interior flows out, is provided at another end of the exhaust gas flow guiding duct, and the exhaust gas jetting portion is accommodated in a vicinity of the purifying liquid return opening, and a floating sphere filter which is equipped with floating spheres, which are a group of spheres, and a floating sphere accommodating chamber, which accommodates the floating spheres at an interior and which has a bottom plate and a ceiling plate formed such that the exhaust gas can flow therethrough and whose side walls are formed by floating walls which are thrust so as to push the floating spheres to return toward a central portion, is provided at the exhaust gas guide-out flow path.
A fifth aspect of the present invention relates to an exhaust gas purifier having an exhaust gas purifying tank accommodating, at an interior, an exhaust gas purifying liquid selected from lubricating oils and animal and vegetable oils; an exhaust gas introducing means provided within the exhaust gas purifying tank, and introducing exhaust gas into the exhaust gas purifying liquid accommodated in the exhaust gas purifying tank; and an exhaust gas guide-out flow path which guides out exhaust gas which has flowed through the exhaust gas purifying liquid, wherein the exhaust gas introducing means is equipped with: an exhaust gas jetting portion which jets exhaust gas in a given direction; and an exhaust gas flow guiding duct which extends along a direction of jetting exhaust gas at the exhaust gas jetting portion, and a purifying liquid return opening, through which the exhaust gas purifying liquid flows in, is provided at one end of the exhaust gas flow guiding duct, and an opening portion, through which exhaust gas purifying liquid which has flowed through an interior flows out, is provided at another end of the exhaust gas flow guiding duct, and the exhaust gas jetting portion is accommodated in a vicinity of the purifying liquid return opening, and an exhaust gas purifying liquid agitating portion, which is equipped with an agitating sphere accommodating chamber, which is formed such that exhaust gas can flow therethrough, and agitating spheres, which are accommodated floatably at an interior of the agitating sphere accommodating chamber, and which agitates exhaust gas purifying liquid flowing out from an interior of the exhaust gas flow guiding duct, is provided in the vicinity of the opening portion provided at the other end of the exhaust gas flow guiding duct.
A sixth aspect of the present invention relates to, in the exhaust gas purifier relating to the above-described fifth aspect, an exhaust gas purifier in which a floating sphere filter which is equipped with floating spheres, which are a group of spheres, and a floating sphere accommodating chamber, which accommodates the floating spheres at an interior and which has a bottom plate and a ceiling plate formed such that the exhaust gas can flow therethrough and whose side walls are formed by floating walls which are thrust so as to push the floating spheres to return toward a central portion, is provided at the exhaust gas guide-out flow path.
A seventh aspect of the present invention relates to, in the exhaust gas purifier relating to any one of the above-described fourth through sixth aspects, an exhaust gas purifier in which the exhaust gas jetting portion is formed so as to jet the exhaust gas upwardly and obliquely upwardly.
An eighth aspect of the present invention relates to, in the exhaust gas purifier relating to any one of the above-described fifth through seventh aspects, an exhaust gas purifier in which the agitating sphere accommodating chamber is a agitating sphere rotating container which is formed so as to be able to rotate around an axis which extends in a horizontal direction.
A ninth aspect of the present invention relates to, in the exhaust gas purifier relating to any one of the first through eighth aspects, an exhaust gas purifier in which the exhaust gas purifying liquid is a lubricating oil.
A tenth aspect of the present invention relates to, in the exhaust gas purifier relating to the ninth aspect, an exhaust gas purifier in which the lubricating oil has a viscosity of 5 to 2,000 cSt.
An eleventh aspect of the present invention relates to an exhaust gas purifier in which the exhaust gas purifying liquid agitating portion is equipped with an agitating sphere accommodating chamber which is formed such that exhaust gas can flow through it, and agitating spheres which are accommodated therein so as to be able to move at an interior of the agitating sphere accommodating chamber.
A twelfth aspect of the present invention relates to an exhaust gas purifier in which the agitating sphere accommodating chamber is a rotating container formed so as to rotate around an axis which extends in a horizontal direction.